1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the area of warning and alert systems for road-capable vehicles, such as automobiles and trucks, and pertains more particularly to a system for warning operators of other vehicles of danger to pedestrians that may not be seen.
2. Discussion of the State of the Art
It is well-known that many roadways in most all countries often have more than one traffic lane in the same direction. Further, it is well-known that, particularly in cities and towns, there are pedestrian crossings (crosswalks), some with automated signals, and some with no signals at all.
At pedestrian crossings where there exist more than one lane of traffic in one direction, there also exists a particular hazard for drivers and pedestrians, the hazard being that with one driver stopped in one lane with a pedestrian in the crosswalk, sight of the pedestrian may be obscured for another driver in another or an adjacent lane by the vehicle of the first driver. There have been many accidents as a result, with a pedestrian, or even a group of pedestrians injured or killed because a driver of a moving vehicle in a lane other than the lane occupied by a stopped vehicle does not discern the pedestrian or pedestrians who may suddenly appear in front of his moving vehicle.
What is clearly needed is a system with an audio or preferably a visual alert or alerts that can be operated at need by a driver of a vehicle, so if a stopped vehicle notices a moving pedestrian in a crosswalk in front of his or her vehicle, that driver can trigger an alert to drivers of vehicles in other lanes proceeding in the same direction.